New report highlights 5G opportunities for operators

New business models are emerging as enterprises and solution providers get ready for the next generation of mobile networks, according to a new report.

In its latest report, 5G Deployment Models Are Crystallizing, Arthur D. Little examines the opportunities that exist for telecom operators to facilitate new business ecosystems enabled by the next generation of mobile networks.

Promising huge increases in speed and bandwidth, 5G has the potential to deliver a vast array of realistic, interactive experiences to consumers, for example, in the areas of immersive games and sports viewing, autonomous driving and augmented reality infotainment, with use cases currently being built.

In the enterprise area, ADL also notes that various industries are already organizing themselves into ecosystems to collectively benefit from 5G connectivity and its related infrastructure, for example, in relation to the rollout of Smart Cities and Smart Manufacturing.

While 5G standards are still in the process of being finalized, the report looks at how some operators are already placing big bets on the anticipated mobile landscape and making announcements about their future 5G plans.

ADL has identified five rollout models from these announcements, with 5G used in the following scenarios:

To provide gigabit broadband to residential homes and act as an effective last mile complement to existing fiber or cable networks.

To deliver a next generation nationwide mobile experience enabling new use cases and applications driven by virtual reality, tactile internet etc.

To deliver highly reliable, low latency connectivity and solutions to corporates improving both efficiency and productivity.

To develop digital industrial ecosystems with machine-to-machine connectivity enabling new service ecosystems with multiple partners, providers and end users.

To deliver next generation infrastructure-as-a-service for entire countries.

Dr. Karim Taga, ADL’s global head of the telecommunication, IT, media and electronics practice, says: “Telecom operators have a vital role to play in bringing enterprises and industry verticals together to deliver not just connectivity, but also solutions.

“This report is designed to provide useful and relevant insights to operators as they decide on their future 5G roadmap and make their own bets on where to focus initial investment.”